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10 Home Hacks to Make Your Space Look Lighter

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Last week I gave you atour of my house and hinted at some hacks that I use to make it feel cleaner than it really is or just some easy crafts I used to dress it up so now I’ll let you in on the secrets by letting you in on 10 home hacks to do in 30 minutes or less. 10 things you can do to make your home a little more homey. Tackle one a day for the next ten days and watch your house transform into a home.

Okay, here we go…

1. De-clutter the front of your fridgeRemember that messy side of my fridge? Well it looks like that because the front is totally clean of clippings and clutter. Nothing makes a kitchen or even main space (if you have a trendy open floor plan) feel cleaner than when your fridge free of clutter! I use to have a ton of pictures and random magnets on the front of the fridge. I found this tip somewhere and thought it sounded silly but it’s not! And it takes way less than 30 minutes. More like two! Throw away what you can and everything else organize on a side that isn’t blatant to people passing by or clear it off altogether if you prefer. It’s the quickest way to make your kitchen feel ‘put together.’

2. DIY canvas projectYou may need to hit up the craft store for this one which doesn’t count in the 30 minutes, sorry! Sometimes I have canvas on hand from previous projects but not always. I typically go for the one large and two small canvas (one on each side of the large one). Unless you have awesome hand lettering skills I’d suggest getting some stickers to paint over for your script on the large canvas. Pick a few colors and a quote or design you and your family love. Stickers and painters tape make this project a zero skill required craft.

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3. Leftover fabric wreathOkay – I hinted at this one last week too. I had a ton of burlap left from our wedding decorations and several friends and I used it to make wreaths! You can buy the wreath ring from most craft stores or online (I like this size) and from there it’s up to you what to add! If you’re having trouble weaving it through the wreath ring just pinterest it. There’s tons of tricks to get it nice and gorgeous. Now, my secretisabout the ribbon and flowers you saw on the wreath are just swirled in and tucked on! They’re not glued or anything so the wreath stays up year round and I simply swap out the summer colors for winter ones! Depending on how crafty you are this shouldn’t take too long once you have the supplies!

4. Tidy up your entry waySo you might notice these items are a mix of cleaning hacks and crafting things. If you only cleaned but never took the time to cultivate an inviting atmosphere your home probably would be very sterile and unwelcoming. In our house we have a super small entry so if it’s not tidy you’ll trip! This is literally the first thing you see when you enter your home so you should make it a joy for you and your family to come home too. Set some candy out, put a pretty picture up, put one of your new crafts on a wall there, come up with a better shoe storage system, or just clean it up a little. Whatever it needs the most, take some time to get it done!

5. 30 minute tidyThis may seem similar to some of the other things that mention cleaning but it’s different I swear. You know all those things that you never put away all day long because it was too much of a hassle? Or because you use ‘that one thing’ every few weeks so it needs to be in a convenient place! Righttt. My weakness is that laundry at the end of the night. I make a pile of dirty laundry in the floor because taking two more steps to the closet is just unbearable. [This type of laundry basket has helped maintain my sanity – No More Sorting]. I understand and I’m not judging I promise. Just take 30 minutes to walk through your home and put away the stuff that people leave lying around. And then after it’s all tidy trying using the 2 minute rule. If it takes less than 2 minutes just do it immediately! Just walk the two steps to the closet okay?! *ahem*

6. Make a whiteboard family calendarOkay, this is not an affiliate post I just really like their products! I get coupons and they have discounts all the time so you can get their stuff super cheap. Shutterfly! I had a $20 off coupon to use once so I made a dry erase calendar sticker and it now resides on our fridge and I LOVE it! It’s a nice little command center for us to stay organized with everyone’s schedules and you can change up the designs and colors to help add some more of your style to your home!

7. Bake somethingBAKE. SOME. COOKIES. Okay, so sometime soon I’ll type up the recipe and share it with you. When we were first married one of the first things we made were chocolate chip cookies. We shopped at Aldi because I traveled out of town for school and Aldi is awesome so I made an effort to go get the groceries and save some dough (money, not cookie dough). The recipe on the Aldi brand chocolate chips are the best cookies I have ever eaten. Granted I have issues with baking and they only turn out half the time. But it really is user error and not the recipe. They’re like the better homemade version of those soft bake cookies with the grandma on them at gas stations. . You know the ones…

Anyway, baking cookies makes your house smell awesome and has the power to lift everybody’s spirits in no time. Making a home isn’t always about how you clean or decorate; it’s about what you do and who you do it with that makes your house a home.

8. Throw stuff awaySimilar to ‘tidy up’ this one is just taking some time to evaluate all that ‘stuff’ just sitting around. A few weeks ago I did an overhaul on the house and purged boxes of stuff. I sold a lot, gave away a ton, and threw out a bunch! Our book shelves were overflowing so we only kept our favorites. Our dressers were covered in clutter that I hadn’t looked at in years so I threw it out. Now a complete purge will take you way more than thirty minutes but for now just assess what you can see laying out around your home. Check out your trinkets and knick-knacks. Keep what you really love and give the rest the boot.

9. Clear your countersAfter you clear your fridge go ahead and take a step or two over to your counter. Put anything away you won’t be using in the next 30 minutes. If you did the 30 minute tidy already just check to see if you missed anything! This one is probably good to do every day or two if you’re like me and just leave stuff out after using it. Shame on me. . .

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10. Make your bathroom an oasisThis could take a while but there are a few things you could do in 30 minutes to get closer to that spa like experience. Like I said last week, our bathroom is my second favorite room (by style, probably my first if we’re talking function). I love our bathroom and I love when I get an hour to myself to take bath and do my hair all by myself. Add one of your canvas projects to your wall. Barrow some candles from other rooms to make a big shelf full of candles to light when you lock yourself in the bathroom to relax. Run to the hardware store and get a dimmer switch to replace your regular light switch. You may just need to clean it for 30 minutes. Just take some time to put some love into your bathroom, especially if you’re a mom. The bathroom doors lock… with tiny children on the other side… usually supervised…

Also, just a bonus, invest in some ‘bath sheets.’ I bought two out of necessity toward the end of my pregnancy and I really don’t know why anyone uses normal towels. They’re luxurious and gigantic.

Alright! Now I know there are tons of other ways to make a house feel homey. What are some of you best tips?